Charlie Hunnam on His 'Terrible, Painful' 3-Year Marriage When He Was 18

Charlie Hunnam was just a teenager when he first got married, which wound up being some of the most "terrible, painful" years of his life.

During a recent interview with the Associated Press in Las Vegas, the Sons of Anarchy star detailed his Vegas wedding to actress Katharine Towne, whom he met in 1999 at a Dawson's Creek audition when he was 18 years old.

"First time I was ever in Vegas, I got married, which didn't turn out that well," Hunnam, 37, recalled. "I'd known the girl for three weeks, and we'd fallen madly in love. It was the first time I had ever been in love."

The couple made the hasty decision to elope before Hunnam had to head back to England. "We thought, 'What if we never see each other again? Let's get married and then we'll have to see each other again even if it's just to get divorced," the actor said. "So we came to Vegas, but I couldn't even get a drink, so I actually didn't think I would be able to get married."

How wrong Hunnam was, because the young pair ended up saying their vows at the Silver Bell Wedding Chapel, which led to "three terrible years," according to The Lost City of Z star. "Three terrible, painful, expensive years," he said. "I got the cats at the end of it, so that was good. There was a small victory."

Hunnam has since been with girlfriend Morgana McNelis for 11 years, though the actor recently confessed to ignoring her for all of five months while filming TheLostCityofZ in Colombia last year.

"I just wanted to feel lonely and selfish, so it worked," he told ET at the movie's Los Angeles premiere earlier this month. "Thankfully, I have an incredible girlfriend who's very, very understanding and supportive of these silly whims that I have."

The actor also admits that he does want to settle down at some point in the near future. "I've got three more years 'til the big 4-0. It feels significant, 40 feels really significant for some reason," Hunnam said. "It's just a number like any other, but I gotta start having some kids, get married, start being sensible in my life."